Grey Cossack, who provided Malton jockey Gyles Parkin with his comeback winner after ten months on the sidelines at Beverley recently, bids to do his grateful partner another good turn at Doncaster tomorrow.

The gelding, who carries the colours of York owner Robert Cook, goes for the opening skybetvegas.com Classified Stakes and has excellent prospects of obliging again.

Grey Cossack did well to win at Beverley, where he came from well off the pace over five furlongs to catch the trail-blazing Tommy Smith well inside the final furlong and win by a neck at 50-1.

The shock success brought a big smile to Parkin's face, the rider having been out of action since a nasty fall on the same course last summer had left him with compressed verterbra in his neck and back and put his future career in jeopardy.

Grey Cossack, trained by Ian McInnes, will relish the step back up to six furlongs tomorrow and has a good chance of following-up for Parkin. Just don't expect him to start at 50-1 this time.

Cardinal Venture is also a follow-up mission in the LJ Monks Ltd Handicap, the Kevin Ryan-trained gelding having scored a pillar-to-post win at Thirsk three weeks ago.

Owned by Ryedale businessman Tony Fawcett, Cardinal Venture is reckoned to be a stronger and more mature horse this season. Previously successful over this course and distance, the five-year-old is expected to take all the beating under Fergal Lynch.

James Fanshawe is beginning to get his team into top gear and the Newmarket trainer is fancied to land the Meadowhall Handicap with Prins Willem.

The four-year-old, a winner last season, is sure to be all the better for his recent comeback outing. Signficantly, Jamie Spencer has been booked for the mount tomorrow.

At Kempton, a note should be made of the David Nicholls-trained Funfair Wane in the pacemakerworld.com Achilles Stakes.

Winner of last season's Ayr Gold Cup for his owner-breeder Jean Keegan - wife of Kevin - Funfair Wane was a recent scorer at Beverley. Often his own worst enemy, because of his highly-strung behaviour, the gelding is very talented, nevertheless. Provided he doesn't boil over beforehand tomorrow, he will take plenty of beating.

The £32,000 Pacemaker Heron Stakes takes pride of place at Kempton, and Kalaman, from the in-form Sir Michael Stoute stable, is the dark horse in the field.

Impressive winner of a maiden race at Newbury last month, Kalaman had been an intended runner in tomorrow's Irish 2,000 Guineas until the ground at the Curragh turned soft. He is clearly very talented and could be an exciting prospect.

If tomorrow's meeting at Haydock gets the green light - today's fixture was subject to a morning inspection of the rain-drenched course - then mud-lovers will be in their element.

Conditions will be just perfect for Welsh Emperor (1-10), who is given the nap vote to score for Tom Tate and Dale Gibson in the opening televised race on BBC1.

Saturday's tips:

Doncaster

1-20 Grey Cossack; 1-55 Hiccups; 2-25 Desert Dreamer; 3-00 Wilful; 3-30 Cardinal Venture; 4-05 Prins Willem; 4-40 Up Tempo

Kempton

2-00 Fun And Games; 2-30 Funfair Wane; 3-05 Kalaman; 3-40 Texas Gold; 4-10 Pagan Dance; 4-45 Glimmer Of Light; 5-20 Got One Too

Haydock

1-10 Welsh Emperor (NAP); 1-40 Golden Nun; 2-10 Jazz Messenger; 2-40 Tolzey; 3-15 Albanova; 3-50 Spirit Of Gold; 4-20 Turtle Valley

- Tomorrow's other meetings: Cartmel, Hexham, Lingfield, Market Rasen and Newmarket.

Updated: 12:16 Friday, May 23, 2003